Automatic safety device.



D. F. CRAWFORD.

/ AUTOMATIC SAFETY DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11, 1913.

1,218,061. Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

nn; I 7/ {m 7% .0. F. CRAWFORD.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED rte. n, ma.

1 ,21 8,06 1 Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I ljIl/l/l/IIIIIl/I/l llllllll/gll l l l il I a 1 a LFE a 5 b l 3 l I INVENTOR DAVID F. CRAWFORD, 0F I'ITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

Application filed February 11, 1913. Serial No. 747,825.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAvIo F. CRAWFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Safety Devices, of which the followir is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic safety devices particularly adapted for use in railway "service. It broadly contemplates the provision of an improved means for automatically operating safety mechanism, and signal apparatus and the like, for example at such times as an engineer passes into a closed block.

My invention further contemplates the provision of detector mechanism whereby a record is made of the times the device has been actuated. Among the more specific objects of my invention are the provision of improved means whereby a current of electricity is induced and effects the operation of safety mechanism when the locomotive passes a signal; and the provision of means whereby a signal is automatically actuated in the cab which can not be released without actuating detector mechanism which registers the operation of the signal.

The foregoing together with such other objects as may hereinafter appear, or are incidental to my invention, I attain by means of a construction which I have shown in the accompanying drawings in connection with a signal located in the locomotive cab which indicates when the locomotive has passed a signal.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagram matic showing of a railroad track, semaphore signal, and locomotive and illustrates the application'of my invention thereto and the relation of the various parts with respect to each other; Fig. 2 is a section through the signal device in the locomotive cab, taken on the line III I of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 2 with the cover plate removed; and Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the signal apparatus drawn on a smaller scale and illustrates the method of fastening the covers or lids therefor.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1 the railroad tracks are indicated by the numeral 7, the semaphore post, carrying the semaphore 8, by the numeral 9 and the locomotive by the numeral 10. Located between the tracks 7 is a primary, alternating transformer or induction coil 6 connected to a circuit by means of the wires 11 and 12. The wire 12 leads from the one main wire 13 while the wire 11 is connected to the other main wire 14 by means of the contact block 15 mounted on the semaphore 8, the contact block 16 and the wire 17. It will be clear that when the semaphore is in the posltion indicated in Fig. 1, in which position the red signal is showing, the circuit will be completed by the contact of the blocks 15 and 16.

A secondary coil 18 is supported from the locomotive cab on the bracket 19 in such manner as to pass in close proximity to the primary coil when the locomotive passes the signal. The secondary coil is connected with a magnet 20 by means of the wires 21 and 22. The magnet is mounted in a casing 23 which is located within the cab.

As the locomotive passes the primary coil a current will be induced in the secondary coil from the primary coil and the magnetic device 20 will be actuated. In the present device the magnet operates an annoying signal such as the whistle 2 1* by means of the following mechanism: The casing 23 is provided with two ports 24 and 25, communication between which being controlled by means of the plug valve 26. The port 24 is connected to the main reservoir 27 of the locomotive by means of the pipe 28 and the port 25 is connected to the whistle 24* by means of the pipe 29. The rotary plug valve 26 is provided with an operating arm 30 to the upper end of which is secured a tension spring 31 which is fastened to the casing 23 and normally tends to rotate the valve to open position. In Fig. 3 the valve is shown in closed position at which time air from the reservoir can not pass through the port 25. Slidably mounted in the casing is a release rod 32, the inner end of which is apertured to receive the lower portion of arm 30 of the valve. The rod 32 is provided with a notch 33 which is adapted to-receive the end of the bar 341 of the magnet 20, which bar when in the position indicated in Fig. 3 prevents the spring 31 from moving the arm 32 out wardly thereby releasably locking the valve in closed position. IVhen the magnet 20 is energized by the inducing of a current in the secondary coil, the bar 34 of the magnet and 25 is established and the current of air blows the whistle. release or operating rod 32 lies within the chamber 35. of the casing. f When the engineerdesires to stop the blowing of the whistle, it will be necessary to unlock the lid 36'of the chamber 35, break the'seal37 .and push the rod 32 inwardly.-untilthe bar The 'outer end of the the engine is brought to the round house an inspector can open the chamber 53 and check 7 up the report of the engineer, in case the seal 37 has been broken. The purpose of this mechanism for detecting the number of times the signal apparatus has been actuated is to securegreater safety through observance .''of signals ,on the part of the engineer, as it x-will-be readily apparent that the engineer a will exercise morecare with the knowledge that any negligence on a his part in this re- 34'of the magnet drops into engagement ,spec't will be registered. r Y with the notch 33, this movement of the rod [*In order to prevent thepoint 39 from 32 effecting the closure of the valve 26; scoring the paper disk .when the collar 43 is As a means for detecting and positively rotated,-the valve 26 is so'arranged that comrecording the number of times the'signalap- ;.munication between the ports 24v and 25 is paratusis actuated, I provide the followingk shut ofi before the arm of the" valve abuts mechanism: Theport 25 opens out into agatheendof'the rod 50. The air remaining cylinder 25 in which is mounteda piston infthe cylinder 25 will therefore be exrod 38 which is provided with'a sharpened point 39 and which is normally; held in retracted position by means .of the s ring 40 which bears against the piston cad 41.

When the valve 26 isopened, the pressure against the piston head'41 advances the pis-' ton rod 38 until the point thereof pricks a hole in the paper disk 42 which is detachably carried on the collar 43 mounted on the stud 44 for rotary movement. The stud is screwed into the casing and the collar is provided with a flange 45 which serves to hold in place a disk 46'which is preferably composed of cork or other soft'substance.

The disk 42 of'paper lies on the face of the cork disk 46 so that the piston 38 can readily punch or prick a hole into the paper when the piston is advanced. I z

The collar 43 is also provided with ratchet teeth 47 which are adapted to be engaged by a weighted pawl 48 pivotally mounted in the I v swinging arm 49. Pivoted to the free end of the swinging rod is a rod '50 which is slid;

a 'a ablysupported in a bracket 51 fastened to the casing and which is normally held in retracted position by means of the spring 52;.

When the valve 26 opens the lower portion [of the arm 30moves in, the direction of ar row and the spring 52 forces the rod in the same direction and the pawl 48 ratchets I 50 over thelteeth 47. When therod 32 is pushed back to normal position the arm 30 :(engagesthe end of the rod 50 and movesit J'forwardly and turns the collar 43 one notch, inasniuch as the pawl 48 will engage one of c I :ment to the collar asthe'rod50 is being i ,"moved. If'the engineer should ass another the ratchet teeth 47 and impart rotary move signal the operation justdescribed will: be

' repeated and a second hole will be punched inthe disk. Itwill be noted that with the exception of the end of the rod 32 the entire mechanism is inclosed in the chamber 53 of the casing 23, said chamber beingclosed by -means of the lid 54. The lid 54 is locked .25

' and is also provided with a seal 55.and when hausted' and the spring 40 will return the 42 before the rod the collar 43.

. It' will be apparent that the means for inducing .a current of electricity in the secondary coil is simple and efiective and it 'will be clear that the current'thus induced may be readily employed in effecting the operation of a variety of safety devices and signal apparatus of various types.

' Having thus described my invention and illustrated'its use, what I claim as new and desire'to secure by Letters Patent is the folv nis'm, and a movable member adapted to be marked by the recording member, said movable member being moved when the trip mechanism is reset.

.'- 2. In combination in a safety device for locomotives, a signal, fluid pressure means forcontinuously operating the signal, a cutoff means therefor, means for holding the f cut-off means in positionto cut off thesupply offluid pressure, electrically operated motive for releasing the said means to supd'evicefor indicating the operation of the signal, and means whereby the resetting of means governed by the position of the 1000- i 1 ply fluid to the signal, 'a'movable recording 20 :the cut-off holding-means advances the re-' cording device in'position for further recording. o

In railway service, the combination ;with a signal device and a recording device,

mo fmeans' for simultaneously actuating the slgnal and the recording device to register the actuation of. the signal upon a record,

85 piston 38 to normal posltion clear of the disk 50 effects the rotation of means for starting the actuation of the signal and recording devices, separate means for stopping the signal actuation, and separate means operated by such means for moving the record into another operative position.

4. In combination in a signal apparatus for railway service, a signal, a record a means for perforating the record, means for simultaneously actuating the signal and the rec- 0rd perforating means, manually operable means for stopping the signal device adapted to move the record, and means for retracting the perforating means before the record moving means is actuated.

5. In a safety device, a signal, a recording mechanism for registering the operations of 7 DAVID F. CRAWFORD.

Witnesses LETITIA A. MYERS, Anouwon'rn MARTIN. 

